The angel atop the Salt Lake Temple was sculpted by Cyrus
Edwin Dallin in 1892. Dallin wasn’t a church member, but he studied the Book of
Mormon for inspiration in planning his design. The Moroni statue weighs between
one and two tons; made of hammered copper and covered in gold leaf. He faces
east because of scriptures like Matthew 24:27 that tell of Christ’s second
coming. He held a long trumpet to his lips as a symbol of the effort to spread Christ’s
gospel. At least, he did until a week ago today. During Wednesday morning’s
earthquake the trumpet slipped from Moroni’s grasp and fell to the temple roof
below. Ironically, the temple was already closed for a major renovation, which
includes a new base to make the 127-year-old structure better able to withstand
earthquakes. It’s not even the first time this trumpet has been disturbed. In 1910,
striking steel workers set off a bomb next door that knocked it askew.
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